With Emmy voting underway, Ramón Rodríguez of ‘Will Trent’ aims to break barriers for Latinos on TV

A Latino actor has never won an Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series, and “Will Trent” star Ramón Rodríguez hopes he’ll be the one to break that barrier.

“It’s a sad and unfortunate reality,” the Puerto Rican actor said. “It’s not why I do what I do, obviously. But does it matter? Of course it does. Because what it does is it gives it a stamp of value.”

“It sort of says, ‘Oh wow, this show is critically acclaimed,’” Rodríguez said. It would indicate that Latino actors can lead a television series with “a compelling story and character.”

In the history of the Emmys, only three Latinos have been nominated in that category: Pedro Pascal, who was nominated in 2023 for his starring role in “The Last of Us;” Jimmy Smits, who was nominated five consecutive times from 1995 to 1999 for his performance in “NYPD Blue”; and Jose Ferrer in 1953, when the category was just known as “best actor.”

From becoming a leading figure in reinventing police procedurals to starting his own production company “to tell our stories,” Rodríguez is looking to make a difference at a time when few Latinos are leading TV shows.

“It is scary. … I place a lot of pressure on myself in terms of wanting to continue to elevate,” Rodríguez said about the “kind of unspoken” responsibility that comes with being part of the 4% of on-screen TV talent who are Latinos.

“Being Latino and Puerto Rican, there’s no doubt that’s something I’m very conscious and aware of,” Rodríguez said. “I’m standing on shoulders of people who’ve paved that and made it a little easier for me. I’m hoping to make it a little bit easier for those who follow.”

“Will Trent” is based on Karin Slaughter’s bestselling books of the same name. It follows a dyslexic orphan who endured physical trauma and abuse as he aged out of the foster care system in Atlanta. The character becomes an intuitive detective at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation who solves cases others can’t.

“Will is an underdog,” Rodríguez said. “All of those things are very loaded, heavy, monumental kind of moments in people’s lives.”

“I quickly fell in love with his resilience and his heart, which are kind of deeply buried. I love that about him,” Rodríguez said of his character.

Will Trent’s beloved sidekick Betty, a pocket-sized Chihuahua he reluctantly adopted in Season 1, is perhaps the one character who can always tap into the harsh detective’s soft side.

“There’s such a beautiful story there that sort of says so much about who Will is,” Rodríguez said.

Despite mixed reviews from critics, audiences have shown up for “Will Trent,” which will start filming its fourth season later this summer, according to Rodríguez.

The series, which airs on ABC and streams on Hulu and Disney+, amassed an average of 11.6 million viewers across multiple platforms during the 2024-25 season, according to Nielsen, which puts “Will Trent” among the 10 most watched TV shows on prime time.

“The writers do a fantastic job of balancing comedy and drama,” Rodríguez said. “That’s a hard thing to do.”

As the actor who plays Will Trent and the show’s executive producer, Rodríguez said he is heavily involved in every aspect of bringing this character to life.

He recalled shedding his “Nuyorican” accent to create a dialect reflective of his character’s unique experiences and developing Will Trent’s signature look: a retro three-piece suit that serves almost like a protective armor for a character who struggles to show his vulnerable side.